Just one successful set separated the Cicero-North Syracuse boys volleyball team from an opportunity to play for the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division I championship Saturday at Suffolk County Community College on Long Island.
But the Northstars could not quite reach that point, denied in that decisive set by the local side from Smithtown West at the tail end of a three-team round-robin tournament that also included Penfield, the Section V champions.
This marked the second consecutive year that C-NS had made it to the final Saturday of the season, and having that experience only made the Northstars hungrier to win it all.
Unlike in 2015, though, just three Division I teams were present instead of four, which meant that C-NS could not afford a slow start as it opened round-robin play against Penfield.
Despite this determination, the Northstars got overwhelmed by the Patriots 25-11 in the opening set. The second set was closer, but Penfield prevailed here, too, 25-20.
Smithtown West also got swept by Penfield, so when the Bulls met C-NS, the first side to win two sets would advance to the finals against the Patriots.
Again, the Northstars fell behind, dropping the first set 25-21, but it fought back in the second set and pulled it out, 25-23, forcing a tie-breaker. Once there, though, C-NS could not maintain that momentum and Smithtown West prevailed, 25-14.
The long battle to get to the final took a toll on the Bulls, and Penfield swept them 25-16, 25-18, 25-21 to earn the state championship.
C-NS, meanwhile, will see six seniors depart, including top setter Connor Millias and most of the front line, too, including Robert Patzer, Justin Kegebein, Trevor Caviness, Josh Cloute and David Delaney. But the likes of Josh Bigford, Kyle Alberici, Trent Caviness and Tristen Cummings return for 2017.
